Greetings Graduate Student Community, I know this point in the semester can feel stressful under the best of circumstances and that many of you are struggling with the numerous tragic circumstances we are facing at the local, national, and global levels. During this extraordinarily difficult time, please be certain to support yourself and be sensitive to the needs of others in our community who may be experiencing fear, pain, and/or grief. As Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, your well being is my top concern. I would like to take this opportunity to urge you to use the resources the campus has available to support you. Two additional options available to you that are designed for graduate students, specifically, are the Graduate Wellness Center and Graduate Peer Support Providers (PSPs). What has been happening in Graduate Division This semester our team has been working on facilitating important events that pull our wonderful academic and professional department partners together to align and improve how we meet your needs throughout your academic life cycle. The Graduate Admissions Institute, kicked off in September, consists of multiple workshops for staff and faculty to discuss promoting the values of equity, inclusion, justice and belonging in the admissions process and in our academic programs. I’m also excited to report back that our team hosted 200 Graduate Advisors on October 12 at the second annual Graduate Education Summit. This year’s Summit focused on pulling graduate student serving staff and faculty together, for a whole day to collaborate and refine how we support you. With over 120 graduate programs on campus, creating space to share knowledge and technical skills is critical to our collective success. This year’s summit consisted of sessions on topics like admissions, appointments, funding operations, and graduate student wellness. Shifting to opportunities for students – the GSI Teaching and Research Center has a full line-up of fall workshops and events. Plus the GradPro team has officially revised the Graduate Student Professional Development Guide. Our Diversity and Community Fellows are ready and eager to support you with any peer-related (or graduate study) questions you may have. Read through our fellows’ profiles and reach out to them for advice and/or questions you have regarding your experience at Cal, or with questions about resources and services available for graduate students. Finally, October is a special awareness month for many reasons, namely we get to celebrate Latinx Heritage Month (September 15 – October 25) and Filipino American History Month. October also marks Disability Awareness Month, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Section 504. Lastly, October is Dating/Domestic Violence Prevention Month. This is an opportunity for our community to reconnect with prevention resources like Be an Active Bystander and these awareness events. Thank you for reading and I hope your midterms go smoothly. Fiat Lux and Go Bears! Lisa García Bedolla Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate Division
Greetings Graduate Student Community, I know this point in the semester can feel stressful under the best of circumstances and that many of you are struggling with the numerous tragic circumstances we are facing at the local, national, and global levels. During this extraordinarily difficult time, please be certain to support yourself and be sensitive to the needs of others in our community who may be experiencing fear, pain, and/or grief. As Vice Provost for Graduate Studies, your well being is my top concern. I would like to take this opportunity to urge you to use the resources the campus has available to support you. Two additional options available to you that are designed for graduate students, specifically, are the Graduate Wellness Center and Graduate Peer Support Providers (PSPs). What has been happening in Graduate Division This semester our team has been working on facilitating important events that pull our wonderful academic and professional department partners together to align and improve how we meet your needs throughout your academic life cycle. The Graduate Admissions Institute, kicked off in September, consists of multiple workshops for staff and faculty to discuss promoting the values of equity, inclusion, justice and belonging in the admissions process and in our academic programs. I’m also excited to report back that our team hosted 200 Graduate Advisors on October 12 at the second annual Graduate Education Summit. This year’s Summit focused on pulling graduate student serving staff and faculty together, for a whole day to collaborate and refine how we support you. With over 120 graduate programs on campus, creating space to share knowledge and technical skills is critical to our collective success. This year’s summit consisted of sessions on topics like admissions, appointments, funding operations, and graduate student wellness. Shifting to opportunities for students – the GSI Teaching and Research Center has a full line-up of fall workshops and events. Plus the GradPro team has officially revised the Graduate Student Professional Development Guide. Our Diversity and Community Fellows are ready and eager to support you with any peer-related (or graduate study) questions you may have. Read through our fellows’ profiles and reach out to them for advice and/or questions you have regarding your experience at Cal, or with questions about resources and services available for graduate students. Finally, October is a special awareness month for many reasons, namely we get to celebrate Latinx Heritage Month (September 15 – October 25) and Filipino American History Month. October also marks Disability Awareness Month, celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Section 504. Lastly, October is Dating/Domestic Violence Prevention Month. This is an opportunity for our community to reconnect with prevention resources like Be an Active Bystander and these awareness events. Thank you for reading and I hope your midterms go smoothly. Fiat Lux and Go Bears! Lisa García Bedolla Vice Provost for Graduate Studies and Dean of the Graduate Division